"Fishers of Men," the Promises of Isaiah, and the Grand Vision for Jerusalem
Fishers of Men — Where Yeshua Really Got It From
The statement of Yeshua in Matthew 4:19 and in Mark 1:17,
"Follow Me, and I will make you become fishers of men"
is one of the most quoted and least understood in the whole New Testament. Yeshua didn't invent this statement, and if we leave it at face value as many Christians have, it is a terrible statement encouraging a terrible practice that implies entrapment and hunting and tricking and baiting people into the community of faith. In Israel we have had many missionaries that have done exactly this kind of "mission work" and have forever blackened the name "missionaries" in the Jewish community worldwide.
Where did Yeshua get this idea? It originates in the book of Genesis from the statement of Jacob to Joseph and his sons:
"The Angel who has redeemed me from all evil, Bless the lads; Let my name be named upon them, And the name of my fathers Abraham and Isaac; And let them grow into a multitude in the midst of the earth." — Genesis 48:16 [NKJV]
This is the literal translation from the Hebrew to English:
"The Angel who has redeemed me from all harm — Bless the boys! In them may my name be recalled, and the names of my fathers, Abraham and Isaac, and may they be fishing much upon the Earth."
The Greek Septuagint translated the Hebrew "ve-yidgu" — a unique verb apparently formed from "dag," "fish," as a symbol of proliferation and multiplicity (see Numbers 11:22) — as "teeming multitudes."
Where did Jacob get this idea that Abraham and Isaac were such great evangelists? From Genesis 12:5:
"And Abram took Sarai his wife, and Lot his brother's son, and all their possessions that they had gathered, and the people that they had acquired in Haran, and they set out to go to the land of Canaan."
The Hebrew word for "the people they had acquired" — "la'asot nefashot" — is a synonym for evangelizing. And from Genesis 14:14:
"When Abram heard that his kinsman had been taken captive, he led forth his trained men, born in his house, 318 of them, and went in pursuit as far as Dan."
The English NKJV translated the Hebrew word "chanichav" as "his trained men," but the word means "disciples." So, dear brothers, Abraham was an evangelist and he converted at least 318 men who must have also had wives and probably children — men who followed Abraham out of the big city of Haran to the boondocks of the land of Canaan. Yeshua read the Torah in Hebrew and not in Greek! He understood that Abraham and Isaac had converted many people to the knowledge of the One God who created the Heavens and the Earth and all that is in them. He wanted His disciples even from the beginning to be "fishers of men" like Abraham and Isaac!
The Great Promises of Isaiah — We Are Living Them Now
The reading from the prophets for Parashat Mishpatim includes the last chapters of Isaiah, and these chapters contain some of the most breathtaking promises in the entire Bible. The prophet Isaiah is making a case starting in chapter 60 with predictions and promises that God, through history, will bring Israel to the fulfillment of the promises He made to Abraham:
"Arise, shine; For your light has come! And the glory of the Lord is risen upon you. For behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, And deep darkness the people; But the Lord will arise over you, And His glory will be seen upon you. The Gentiles shall come to your light, And kings to the brightness of your rising." — Isaiah 60:1-3 [NKJV]
These wonderful promises are part of what we are actually living right now. Evangelical Christians are standing up for Israel, supporting Israel both politically and financially, and supporting many projects that involve Aliyah — the return of the Jewish people from exile back to the land given by God to Abraham and his seed as an everlasting inheritance.
Isaiah chapter 61 is the chapter that Yeshua is reading from in the synagogue in Nazareth, probably on His birthday, proclaiming freedom and the jubilee year:
"To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, And the day of vengeance of our God; To comfort all who mourn, To console those who mourn in Zion, To give them beauty for ashes, The oil of joy for mourning, The garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; That they may be called trees of righteousness, The planting of the Lord, that He may be glorified." — Isaiah 61:2,3 [NKJV]
Isaiah chapter 62 is an invitation for the nations of the world who know the Lord to participate and partner with Israel in the process of rebuilding Jerusalem and preparing for her vindication:
"For Zion's sake I will not hold My peace, and for Jerusalem's sake I will not rest, until her righteousness goes forth as brightness, and her salvation as a lamp that burns. The Gentiles shall see your righteousness, and all kings your glory. You shall be called by a new name, which the mouth of the Lord will name." — Isaiah 62:1,2 [NKJV]
Isaiah chapter 60 also contains a description of the cosmic changes to our solar system in the last days:
"The sun shall no longer be your light by day, nor for brightness shall the moon give light to you; But the Lord will be to you an everlasting light, and your God your glory. Your sun shall no longer go down, nor shall your moon withdraw itself; For the Lord will be your everlasting light, and the days of your mourning shall be ended. Also, your people shall all be righteous; They shall inherit the land forever, the branch of My planting, the work of My hands, that I may be glorified." — Isaiah 60:19-21 [NKJV]
Jerusalem — Mother of All the Nations
Isaiah chapter 66 is the final road map of the last days of history: Jerusalem is the mother of the nations and becomes the comfort of all the nations:
"'Rejoice with Jerusalem, and rejoice with her, all you who love her; Rejoice for joy with her, all you who mourn for her; That you may feed and be satisfied with the consolation of her bosom, That you may drink deeply and be delighted With the abundance of her glory.' For thus says the Lord: 'Behold, I will extend peace to her like a river, And the glory of the Gentiles like a flowing stream. Then you shall feed; On her sides shall you be carried and be dandled on her knees. As one whom his mother comforts, So I will comfort you; And you shall be comforted in Jerusalem. When you see this, your heart shall rejoice, and your bones shall flourish like grass; The hand of the Lord shall be known to His servants, And His indignation to His enemies. For behold, the Lord will come with fire And with His chariots, like a whirlwind, to render His anger with fury, And His rebuke with flames of fire.'" — Isaiah 66:10-15 [NKJV]
In general, most Christians have ignored these texts from the end of Isaiah. However, these words of God are for us and with us, and so much good and encouragement is found and treasured in these words of God. The wonderful thing about the end of Isaiah is the full equality between the Israelites and the Gentiles in that promised New Jerusalem.
I would like to encourage you to read these verses at the end of Isaiah and to think about them and imagine that these promises of God are our future, the future of the whole world. I don't know how, and don't know when, but I know for sure that every detail promised by God will become a true and historical reality. I am encouraged by these words of God at the end of Isaiah. I hope that after you read them all for yourselves, from Chapter 60 to 66, you too will be filled with both hope and encouragement and also with many questions that will motivate you to increase your faith and dedication toward our Lord!
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Joseph Shulam
Founder
Joseph is the pioneering founder of Netivyah, one of Israel’s first official Messianic non-profits. Dedicated to restoring the Jewish roots of the faith, he has authored numerous books and lectured globally for over 50 years.
Glossary
Aliyah (עֲלִיָּה) means “going up” and can refer to being called up to the Torah reading as well as immigrating to the Land of Israel.
Parashat (פָּרָשַׁת) means “the portion of” and is used before the name of a weekly Torah portion.
Septuagint is the ancient Greek translation of the Hebrew Scriptures, often used by early followers of Yeshua.
Synagogue (beit knesset בֵּית כְּנֶסֶת) is a Jewish place of prayer, study, and community gathering.
Torah (תּוֹרָה) means “instruction” or “teaching” and often refers especially to the Five Books of Moses. Psalm 119:1 reminds us that those who walk in God's Torah are blessed.
Yeshua (יֵשׁוּעַ) is the Hebrew name of Jesus, meaning "salvation"
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